Touring in Colombia

Often described as the most beautiful country in South America, Colombia has come a long way since the dark days of Pablo Escobar. More and more travellers are discovering Colombia’s winning blend of breathtaking scenery, beautiful towns and pristine Caribbean coastline, along with the welcoming people who are passionate about showing you how much their country has to offer.

Colombia’s star attraction is the picture-perfect colonial town of Cartagena, situated on the sultry Caribbean coast, and the unspoilt islands just offshore are becoming increasingly fashionable. Bogotá and Medellín are among the most exciting up-and-coming cities in Latin America, while towns like Popayán and Barichara have colonial good looks to rival anywhere on the continent. But it’s Colombia’s vast and often impenetrable interior that really defines this country, from highland coffee fincas and dense Amazonian jungle to snow-capped mountain peaks. This epic landscape sustains an incredibly diverse array of wildlife, including more bird species than any other country on the planet.

Touring Highlights of Colombia

• Cartagena’s photogenic walled old town, on the beautiful Caribbean coast, is the jewel in Colombia’s crown.
• Colombia’s coffee region, the Zona Cafetera, is the source of the country’s best known (legal) export, an area of incredible natural beauty where you can learn more about the growing process and trek through stunning mountain scenery.
• Bogotá has bounced back from Colombia’s darker days, and the capital is blossoming into a creative hub where cool bars, experimental restaurants and vibrant street art sit alongside colonial squares and rambling markets.
• Popayán is known as ‘La Ciudad Blanca’ on account of its beautiful whitewashed buildings, and was home to rich sugar plantation owners during the colonial era thanks to its mild highland climate.
• San Agustín is Colombia’s most important archaeological site, where hundreds of statues sculpted from volcanic rock are scattered across the landscape, remnants of an indigenous civilisation that disappeared many centuries before the arrival of the Europeans.